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Victim will "never forgive" laptop thief

A MAN who used work as a ruse to steal a laptop from his stepfather’s partner has appeared in court.

Darlington Magistrates’ Court heard today (Thursday, December 20) that 18-year-old Christian Millins told his stepfather’s partner Emma Collins that he had been offered a cash-in-hand job to update a website but he needed a computer to work on.

Ms Collins lent him her old laptop, an Acer valued at £100, but when she went to Millins’ home to collect it, he asked her to come back later.

When she returned he was out and the following day he told her that he had sold the laptop.

In court prosecutor John Garside read Ms Collins’ statement in which she said she would “never forgive” Millins because the laptop contained irreplaceable family photographs.

Millins, of Willance Grove, Richmond, pleaded guilty to theft and was given a 12-month community order with supervision from the probation service.